


Of Tea and Crushes

by Scrcndpty



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Awkwardness, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV) References, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Reader-Insert, Tea Shop, The Jasmine Dragon (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24185326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scrcndpty/pseuds/Scrcndpty
Summary: You had a soft smile on your face. “Zuko, would you like to maybe …” you paused, nibbling on your lower lip as you seemed to think. “Nevermind, sorry, just … forget that.”In this moment, he would have done everything to know what you had wanted to say.It is simple: Zuko likes you. It turns out to be difficult to not think about you and it is slowly driving him insane.
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 561





	Of Tea and Crushes

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this in December last year, after reading a lot of Zukka coffee shop AUs, haha. Got an idea for the ending today and finished this piece. (I struggle with thinking of titles these days, gosh.)
> 
> Reader is gender-neutral.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Aang's _totally_ right. While the Halloween episodes are nothing short of perfect, 'Cheddar' is still the best episode because, duh, do I really have to say it out loud?"

Another wave of cold air wafted into the small tea shop as the bell rang, signaling the door being opened and closed after the group of five people stepped in.

The ‘Jasmine Dragon’ was frequently visited by you and your little group of friends since its opening a couple months back. Zuko as well as his uncle knew you all by name now and vice versa, and it became a tradition for you guys to visit after classes had ended. A tradition Zuko had mixed feelings about.

"Thank you!" Aang looked at you gratefully. "How can an episode about a corgi _not_ be the peak of perfection?"

On the one side, there was your group being loyal customers; without you, the shop would loose a considerable income. On the other side, it was usually you who came up to the counter to place your group's orders, all the while making small talk.

"Oh my god, you're just obsessed with corgis," Sokka groaned, "do _I_ really have to say out loud why the Halloween episodes are the best?"

"Please don't," murmured Toph at his side, only to be completely ignored. Katara was somehow able to tune the whole discussion out.

Zuko didn't despise the small talk per se. You never talked about inappropriate topics, you always seemed to know when he wouldn't appreciate talking more than necessary, and you smiled afterwards like Zuko had made your whole day.

"The planning, the plot twists, the way the real winner of the heist is unclear until the very end." Sokka sighed almost dreamily. "It's the best. And" he exclaimed, holding up a finger even as your group sat down on your usual table, "also Cheddar makes an appearance sometimes!"

What Zuko hated about the small talk was his own awkwardness and the constant nagging of his brain that your kindness just _had_ to be some way to make fun of him. And of course his uncle, who was convinced that you and Zuko were destined to be the _perfect_ couple. Zuko wished for the ground to open up and swallow him whole every time Uncle Iroh only opened his mouth to voice this exact thought.

(Nobody needed to know that Zuko sometimes allowed himself to imagine the possibility. Only sometimes, though. Every few days. Alright, maybe it was more often than that. Like, every time you smiled at him. Which was nearly every day at least once.

 _Nobody_ could know.)

"I really don't know how you can discuss this for an hour now," Katara remarked, sitting down next to Toph, one hand already reaching for the menu.

"That's because you don't know what a good TV show is," her brother said, snatching the menu card from her hands just to mess with her.

It had been a surprise for Zuko himself to allow these kind of thoughts. Since things between him and Mai had broken off a few years back and he had left to live with Iroh after his father kicked him out, a love interest had been far from his mind. It had not fit into his life at the moment. It hadn't seemed like he deserved it. And even though Iroh had helped a lot to make him see his worth, Zuko didn't think he was quite there, yet.

However, he allowed himself to indulge in his fantasies. His uncle always said he had to get out there and find someone. That he would, eventually. Maybe some day he would truly have someone by his side, who would smile at him like you did, who would be kind to him, and who would make him feel like he was valuable.

Lost in his mind, Zuko nearly missed you coming up to the counter. Apparently, your conversation had come to an end and your group was ready to order.

"Hey there, Zuko!"

"H-hi," he stuttered, feeling like he had been caught with his thoughts. He also felt an embarrassing flush forming on his cheeks, much to his dismay.

"Hi," he repeated, calmer, after he had breathed in deeply, trying to cool down his heated face.

"Hey," you repeated as well, a big smile on your face. "How's it going?"

Zuko cleared his throat, trying to reciprocate the smile, though he was sure he managed more of a grimace than anything friendly looking.

"Good, I guess," he said.

"Why only guess?"

"Uh, I mean, it's good? Just good? Without the guess? I mean, it's good, I ..." Zuko groaned, fighting the urge to smack the palm of his hand against his face. "Is it ... is it the usual for you and your group?"

"Yes. Oh, but Toph wants to try some chamomile tea today and Sokka would like some whipped cream for his hot chocolate."

Zuko nodded, grateful that he had something to do with his hands and that he - hopefully - wouldn't make more of a fool of himself than he already had.

(Really, it was a miracle how he hadn't messed up one drink you all had ordered by now. Or tripped over his own feet when he brought the orders over. Or spilled hot drinks all over you. Or just stop functioning altogether and blurting out the massive crush he had on you.)

"How's Uncle Iroh?" you asked, like always engaging in small talk.

"He's fine," Zuko said as he began preparing the tea leaves. "We got a new delivery of goods and he's currently sorting through everything."

"Managing a shop like this with only two people seems tough."

He shrugged his shoulders, shooting you a quick glance. You had propped yourself up on the counter with your elbows, watching him work. Zuko faltered in his movements briefly, but surprisingly, he recovered fairly quickly.

"Sometimes," he answered, continuing his work efficiently. "During times when the shop is full it can be exhausting, but we're doing fairly well otherwise."

You nodded, seemingly happy with the comfortable silence following, the only noise being Zuko working and your group arguing about something else in the background.

It was Zuko who began talking. Surprising himself. Again.

"So, you like Brooklyn 99?"

Your face lit up. "Yes! It's one of my favorite TV shows! Really funny. Great to just relax and destress, you know?"

Zuko nodded. "Yeah, it's good to take your mind off of things sometimes. I haven't seen the new episodes, though."

"Oh, I love them! You gotta watch them soon! Oh, but which episode do _you_ think is better? Halloween heists, or the Cheddar episode?"

You had your eyes on him, watching him intently and Zuko slowed down in his task. He didn't have the heart to tell you he didn't really care about this show as much as you apparently did. So he said, a small blush forming, "Uh, I mean, corgis are kinda cute?"

"I'll take that as a point for the Cheddar episode." You laughed, accepting the tray with your drinks Zuko set down in front of you, picking it up before beginning to make your way over to the table.

"Hey, Zuko?"

"Yeah?" God, that sounded eager, didn't it? A bit too eager. Zuko cringed internally.

You had a soft smile on your face. "Would you like to maybe ..." you paused, nibbling on your lower lip as you seemed to think. "Nevermind, sorry, just ... forget that."

For once in all the (considerably short) time Zuko had known you, you were the one to be flustered, shooting him an awkward smile before hurrying back to your friends.

Sokka greeted you with a shit-eating grin when you arrived at their table, and while Zuko couldn't hear what he or the others were saying, he could see by your body language - flustered expression, shoulders pulled up and back hunched to make yourself smaller - that you were being teased.

In this moment, he would have done everything to know what you had wanted to say.

  
  


* * *

  
  


It was a few days later, after the weekend, during which Zuko hadn’t seen you.

He had slept fitfully in all the nights following your conversation of Brooklyn 99 and how cute corgis were. Not because of the corgis. They were indeed fairly cute and not exactly the stuff of nightmares.

No, instead Zuko was spending a slowly but surely concerning amount of time thinking about what you could have possibly wanted to ask him. What was it he would like to do?

Prepare an extra order? Get you a pastry? Though, questions like this were phrased differently, weren’t they? This seemed more … intimate, somehow.

But what in the hell would you want to ask him that wasn’t in relation to his work? And _why?_ All you’ve ever done was talking about trivial things while you waited for him to prepare orders.

Once again Zuko was submerged in his thoughts so deeply he flinched almost violently when the door to the ‘Jasmine Dragon’ opened, making the little bell jingle softly.

Aang was the first to enter the shop, followed by Sokka and the rest of the group, this time talking about some exam you had received the results for.

As always it didn’t take long for you to approach the counter, getting the orders for your friends and yourself.

And Zuko felt like he was vibrating at a real high frequency. This surely wasn’t good for his heart. 

“Hey!” you greeted. “The usual please.”

Zuko only nodded, not trusting himself to not say something dumb. He was lucky that Uncle Iroh was once again busy somewhere else, unable to see his nephew act like the hopelessly lovesick idiot he was.

“How was your weekend?”

You smiled at him sweetly. This time Zuko did slip and spilled water next to the cup instead of inside it. He quickly wiped it away.

“Uh, good.”

“You sound unsure.”

Well, it wasn’t _really_ good. You were driving him crazy and you weren’t even aware of it!

“I mean, uh, it was nothing exciting. Just a normal weekend.” Zuko continued preparing the beverages slowly, trying to get his slightly trembling hands under control.

“How did you do on your exam?”

“Oh.” You didn’t expect this question. “I passed, but … nothing special, really. But thanks for asking!”

Zuko placed the last cup on a tray. He felt a little bit proud of not having messed up any further, even though he felt like it was hard to breath when you were near.

“Can … can I ask a question?”

“Sure.”

“What was it you wanted to ask me last week?”

You looked like a little kid caught with its hand in the cookie jar.

“Ah, well, you see, I just wanted to ask … it’s not really important! Certainly nothing to worry about, I assure you! Just forget it.”

Zuko wanted to scream. He couldn’t take this any longer.

“I can’t.”

“What?”

“I can’t ‘just forget it.’ It’s all I can think about. Please.” Did his tone become pleading? Perhaps, but he was getting desperate. “Please, tell me.”

Shock morphed into embarrassment. You brought up a hand to the back of your neck in a nervous gesture.

“Alright, um, it’s just … I kinda like you. I want to get to know you better and wanted to ask if you’d like to watch the new episodes of Brooklyn 99 together. With me.”

Zuko blinked.

“Really?”

“I … yeah.”

“Oh my god.” Zuko deflated, the grip on his heart loosening, now pounding fast for entirely different reasons.

“I’m sorry!” You quickly said, hands coming up in front of your chest as if to calm Zuko down. “I didn’t mean to trouble you! I chickened out in the last second. And you don’t have to answer anymore. I’d understand!”

“No, it’s alright. I’d love to.”

“Really?” Your face lightened up beautifully. Because of Zuko. He sure had imagined this, not expected it to be reality someday. The urge to pull you close and squeeze you tight was nearly unbearable.

“Yeah, I … I like you, too.” He blushed heavily.

You bounced in your spot. “Ah, I’m so happy! Sokka is teasing me so badly since he found out I like you, pestering me to ask you out and I finally did it! And you said yes!”

“Oh, uh, how long …?”

“Since the … beginning? When we first met?”

“This long?” Zuko exclaimed, making you pout adorably.

“Why do you think I am the only one making orders for our group? I wanted to talk to you!”

“Oh.”

You laughed at the dumbfound expression on his face, then finally picked up the tray.

“It’s okay, I love talking to you. You’re cute!”

Zuko’s face got even redder at your compliment. Still, he found his voice faster than expected.

“Wait!”

You halted in your movements immediately. “What is it?”

“Here.” Zuko grabbed a napkin and scribbled on it with a pen, placing it next to your tea on the tray when he was finished.

“My number. You can text me any time. We can set a time for our, uh, date.”

“Ah, yes! Brooklyn 99! Nearly forgot that, jeez.”

Zuko managed a small smile, only for you to nearly trip over your own feet. You shook your head when he moved to go around the counter to help you, smiling back brightly to assure him you were fine.

For you were more than fine; you were feeling fantastic.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Although Uncle Iroh caught Zuko tapping away on his phone several times during the rest of his shift, he didn’t say anything.

Not with the way his nephew was smiling oh so softly.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated!
> 
> Visit my [tumblr](https://scrcndpty.tumblr.com/) !


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